Gem setting apparatus



Aug. 29, 1967 1.. ITALIANO GEM SETTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets Sheet Filed July 26, 1965 FIGZ v ae

INVENTOR, Lawrence lrcluono,

FIGJO ATTORNEY.

Aug. 29, 1967 I... ITALIANO 3,338,497

GEM SETTING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet H612 FIG.I3

FIGJS -.I I 5 INVENTOR,

6| Lawrence lioliono ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,338,497 GEM SETTING APPARATUS Lawrence Italiano, 235 North St., New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11040 Filed July 26, 1965, Ser. No. 474,640 7 Claims. (Cl. 227-48) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE On each downward stroke of a press, its ram picks up during such movement, an upright multi-pronged staple coming from a chute. 0n the bed of the press is a slidable anvil having a gem in a socket in said anvil. The socket is in line with the ram and a fabric is placed to cover its gem-laden socket, so on downward movement of the ram, the prongs of the staple will pierce the fabric and they will be bent in the socket to embrace the gem. On the upward stroke of the ram, the anvil will shift to a position where it receives a gem from a chute and return for action by the ram, ready for the downward stroke of said ram, to mount the newly received gem onto a shifted position of the fabric.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for attaching gems to fabric, leather and other similar sheet material, and more particularly to a machine which automatically brings a gem and a pronged staple to serve as a setting therefor, to a clinching station where the sheet material is between them, and then and there, their assembly is effected. Locating the sheet material is done by hand.

'Prior machines of this class could not work satisfactorily at high speeds. Gem-feeding mechanism had to be cleared away to permit ram movement. Operation of such mechanism often jammed. The deposit of the gem into the die in proper position, was not positive. The impact of parts soon caused their loosening. The result of these objectionable incidents was defective work and often, machine damage.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved automatic gem-setting machine of the character described, of new construction and having a new mode of operation, especially as to the feeding and positioning of the gem and its setting, avoiding all previously experienced objections and which is capable of high speed operation.

Another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved automatic gem-setting machine of the kind set forth, which is easy to operate, reasonable in cost to manufacture and efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, a supply of multipronged staples are dumped in a hopper for delivery from a chute one at a time in uniform position, prongs downward, to a clinching station, where it is under a vertical movable plunger which on downward stroke cooperates with a gem-laden die beneath, to effect the assembly with sheet material as fabric or the like, supported atop said die. A supply of flat-bottom gems are dumped into a hopper for delivery from a chute one at a time in uniform inverted position at a loading station rearward of the clinching station; said die being on a slide which moves between said stations to transport a gem properly set into its socket at loading station, to the clinching station. It is to be noted that for the downward stroke of the plunger, the gem-laden die is at rest, but during the upward stroke of the plunger, said die moves to loading station to receive a gem, and returns laden to clinching station.

Provision is made to avoid jamming and chipping of gems at the discharge end of the gem-delivery chute which might occur because of an oversized gem entering into the socket in the die or because two undersized gems are attempting to or have entered into said socket. This is accomplished by having said chute swingably mounted for movement upwardly away from the anvil die, but spring-biased to its normal position. Provision is also made to prevent the gem being transported by the die, from jumping out of its socket, which otherwise might occur because of the rapid movement of the carriage on which said die is mounted.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional elevation, showing the assembly of parts accomplished by the machine which is the subject of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a machine embodying the teachings of this invention in combination with a foot press.

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the machine showing a staple discharged from a staple delivery chute onto an auxiliary staple carrier from which it is picked up in a socket of a sleeve and plunger structure on the ram of the press at each down stroke of the ram.

ing the construction of said sleeve and plunger structure which is included in this particular embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the auxiliary staple carner.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a staple which is used to mount a gem.

FIG. 8 is a section taken at line 88 in FIG. 2, of the staple delivery chute.

FIG. 9 is a section taken at line 9-9 in FIG. 2, of the gem delivery chute.

FIG. 10 is a section taken at line 10--10 in FIG. 15, showing the deposit of a gem from the gem delivery chute into a socket at the forward end of an anvil which is on a carriage. v

FIGS. 1114 are fragmentary top plan views shown in diagrammatic manner, of the carriage, the anvil thereon and associated mechanism to move said carriage, which figures will be resorted to to explain the phases of carriage movement and the cycle of machine operation.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary top plan View of a table serving as the bed of the press; said table carrying the carriage and mechanism for moving same, as well as a plate which deals with the gem from the time it is deposited into a socket in the anvil from the gem discharge chute up to the time the gem is about to be at the work-performing station, meaning the clinching station, where the assembly shown in FIG. 1 is accomplished.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the machine, showing the gem delivery chute, the anvil, the carriage and associated mechanism.

In the drawings, the machine designated generally by the numeral 20, is for doing the work shown in FIG. 1 comprising a multi-pronged staple 21, with its prongs 22, 22' passed through one surface of a piece of sheet material 23 and gripping a gem 24 which is on the other surface; said prongs, of which there are four in the particular embodiment illustrated, being bent towards each other, tightly engaging the gem.

The machine 20 is a foot press in this specific embodiment, whose vertically movable ram 25 is operable by the foot lever 26. On a table 27 below said ram, there is a carriage 28 on which a die member or anvil 29 is FIG. 5 is a section taken at line 5-5 in FIG. 4 showmounted. Carriage movement is such that the socket 30 in the anvils top surface, at one limit position of said carriage, is coaxial with the downwardly directed plunger 31 at the lower end of the ram 25, and at the other limit position behind the axis line of said plunger, said socket 38 is at the discharge end of a gem-delivery chute 32, down which gems 24 slide in succession from an automatic hopper and orienting device indicated by the numeral 33, to land in inverted position on the anvil 29. An L-shaped member 34, swingably mounted at 35 on a frame element 36, has a staple-receiving formation indicated generally as 37 at the distal end region of its horizontal leg; said formation being an end step having on it an upward rib 37 from the front edge to said steps riser, intermediate the side ends of such step 37". This step is normally at the discharge mouth of a stapledelivery chute 38, down which staples like 21 slide in succession from an automatic hopper and orienting device indicated by the numeral 39. The pivotal connection 35 is at the upper end of the vertical leg of said L-shaped member 34, more towards the horizontal leg of said member. A blade spring 40 fixed on said frame element 36, biases said member 34 to swing counterclockwise, so its distal step 41 is normally up against the underside of the chute 38, and the staple coming out of the discharge end of the chute 38, will move over onto and straddle the rib 37', in proper position for action by the plunger 31, which position, the length of said rib determines. Said chute 38 guides the staples 21 so their prongs are downward at the discharge end of said chute, and it is in this position that the rib 37 receives them, one at a time. The chute 32 guides the gems 24 so they are inverted at discharge end of such chute and it is in this position that they land one at a time atop the anvil 29, to fall into the socket 38 upon movement of the carriage 28 to its most rearward position. The discharge mouth of the chute 32 is closed by said carriage-mounted anvil 29. There is a thin plate 42 in contact with the upper surface of said anvil 29 and secured to the table 27 at 43. This plate does not cover the anvils socket 30 when said carriage 28 is at its limit positions, and offers clearance for the lower end of the sleeve 44 to contact the anvil when the ram 25 is brought down, upon movement by foot of the lower end of the foot lever 26, rearwards, to affix a gem 24 as in FIG. 1. Said plate at its rear edge offers an upward rearwardly tilted tab 42' to avoid the possibility of the gem within the socket 30 to jump out before the socket is covered by said plate, upon forward movement of the carriage 29. The chute 38 is a channel with a central longitudinal rib 38 extending upwardly from its floor wall, so the staples 21 therein are one after the other, with their prongs 22 to one side of said rib and their prongs 22' to the other side. When the L-shaped member 34 is in its normal raised position as in FIG. 2, its rib 37 is in line with the rib 38. The chute 32 is a channel of rectangular cross section in which the gems 24 which are flat-bottomed, are one after another and are discharged inverted.

The carriage 28 and a bar 45 spaced alongside thereof, are mounted for sliding movement along tracks 59, 60, 61, extending on the underside of the table 27, from the front, towards the rear of the machine 15. The forward end of said carriage 28 has an arm 46 extending later-ally therefrom, to be intercepted by a pin 47 which is always behind it; said pin extending downwardly from the forward end of said bar. This bar is compelled to move upon movement of the lever 26 to which it is linked. Said bar moves forward during the ascent of the ram 25, and rearward during the rams decent. To accomplish the length of stroke required for said bar 45, there is provided in the embodiment illustrated, a standard 48 fixed to the frame of the machine. The upper end of an arm 49 is pivotally mounted at 50 on said standard, and such arm has the longitudinal slots 51 and 52, in which the rollers 51 and 52' respectively ride. The roller 51' is on an axis pin 51" fixed on the lever 26. The roller 52' is on an axis pin 52" which extends laterally from said bar 45. This arrangement offers the slidable bar its required relatively long stroke which is a multiplication of the extent of movement of the roller 51 when the lever 26 is operated. The underside of the carriage 28 has a transverse slot 53, serving as a track for a pin 54 which extends upwardly from one end of a lever 55. At the other end of this lever, there is a pawl 56, pivoted thereto at 57. This pawl is in the path of the pin 47 which extends from the bar 45, and is free to swing from a normal rest position on said lever 55 when intercepted by said pin 47, during rearward movement of the bar 45, but said pawl has no movement relative to the lever 55, when intercepted by said pin 47, during forward movement of said bar said pawl being biased by a spring 56 fixed on said lever. Said lever 55, near its pawl-carrying end, is pivotally mounted on an axis stud 58, fixed on the table 27, between the carriage 28- and the slide bar 45.

The carriage 28 is up against the underside of the table 27 which has an elongated slot 62 therethrough so there is clearance for the elongated anvil 29 fixed atop said carriage; said slot and anvil extending in the direction of the tracks 59-61 and said anvil being flush with the table top. The length of said anvil 29 is such that when its gemreceiving socket 30 is at work-performing, meaning clinching position which it is when most forward as in FIG. 11, said socket is coaxial with the plunger 31 and the rear end of said anvil is rearwardly beyond the discharge end of the gem-delivery chute 32, so at all times, the gem 24 at said chutes discharge end, either brushes the top surface of the anvil 29, or when said socket is at said chutes discharge end because of the movement of said carriage 28 to its rearmost position, said gem falls into said socket 30.

The jogging action of the staple orienting and feeding device 39 and of the gem orienting and feeding device 33, aided by gravity, respectively cause the passage of a staple 21 onto the rib 37' when the member 34, which may be called an auxiliary staple carrier, is at its normal rest position as shown in FIG. 2, and of a gem 24 into the socket 30, when the carriage 28 is at its most rearward position. Said devices 33 and 39 are Well known in this art, and for the feeding and attaching of staples to a fabric or the like, reference may be had to my Patent No. 3,191,840.

To set forth the operation of the machine, reference will be had particularly to the figures.

The components included in FIG. 11, are there shown in their relative position at the end of the down stroke of the ram 25 which was brought about by the operator pushing the pedal, not shown, at the lower end of the lever 26, rearward. An assembly as in FIG. 1, has just been made. Note that the slide bar 45 is at its rearmost position while the carriage 28 is at its most forward position. Now the operator releases hold on the pedal, whereupon the lever 26 will come forward due to action of a tensed spring means (not shown) as is well known in foot presses. Simultaneously therewith, the ram 25 will rise to its uppermost position as is shown in the FIGS. 2 and 3. The fabric 23 worked on is continued, held in hand and moved on the die 29 to the next spot of said fabric to have a gem affixed thereto.

During the upward stroke of the ram 25, the bar 45 will move forward to its most forward position as shown in FIG. 13. But during the first part of such travel from its position in FIG. 11, the pin 47 will cause the lever to swing counterclockwise on the axis 58, because said pin did press against the pawl 56, so now the carriage 28 will be shifted rearwardly as in FIG. 12, whereupon the gem 42 will be deposited into the socket 30. During the remainder of the forward travel of said bar 45, the pin 47 will intercept the arm 46 and thereby return the carriage 28 to its most forward position as shown in FIGS. 13 and 15. A staple 21 having entered the auxiliary carrier 34,

the machine is now ready to be operated to set the gem now in the socket 30, since the machine condition is now as shown in FIG. 13. So now the operator shifts the pedal rearward so the ram 25 will descend, pick up the staple 21 which is in the rib 37', of the auxiliary carrier 34, up into the tubular member 44, in the vacant space 63 below the plunger 31, in which movement the staple is aided by the lower thinned edge 44 of the sleeve 44, in which space the staple is gripped by the wire spring fingers 64. The ram 25 continuing downwards, will cause the sleeve 44 to intercept the auxiliary carrier 34 and swing it clockwise on the axis 35, as the staple thereon is taken up into the sleeve 44. Finally the assembly of FIG. 1 will be completed during the remainder of the downward travel of the ram 25, because the prongs of the staple will pierce the sheet material 23, then embrace the gem in the socket 30. The contour of said socket being downwardly tapered, serves as a bending die which bends the staples prongs towards each other to tightly engage the gem, while the lower end of the sleeve 44 will press against the sheet material 23 on the anvil 29; the plunger 31 being the member which actually pushes the staple into the die cavity 30, while the coil spring 31', biasing the sleeve downward is stressed and said sleeve 44 has ridden upwards on said plunger to an extent permitted by the pin 68 in the slot 69, at which time the plunger did come to the bottom end of said sleeve. The slot 69' is along said sleeve and the pin 68 extends from the plunger into said slot. The machine condition at this time is shown in FIG. 11 as relates to the carriage 29 and its related mechanism for moving it. It is to be noted that during the downward stroke of the ram 25, the slide bar 45 will have moved from its position in FIG. 13 to its rearmost position as shown in FIG. 11. During such rearward travel of the slide bar 45 and the downward movement of the ram 25, the carriage 28 remained at rest. Although the pin 47 did intercept the pawl 56, said pawl merely swung away and stressed the spring 56 as shown in FIG. 14, allowing the pin 47 to pass rearwardly without moving the lever 55, and of course, the spring 56 did return said pawl to its normal rest position. The ram 25 in FIG. 11, is ready to be made to rise, which is the incident in the cycle of operation, this description of the cycle, commenced with. Upon the upward stroke of said ram 25, the operator shifts the piece 23 to where a gem is to be set next, and repeats the cycle as many times as may be required. In resume therefore, it is evident that while the ram 25 is ascending, the carriage 26 moves from clinching position, rearwardly to gem-loading position and returns forwardly to clinching position, and that upon the descent of said ram, the carriage 26 is at rest at clinching position.

If a gem entering the die socket 30 should be too large, or if two undersized gems should manage to cram into the socket, then to avoid gem spoilage, the chute 32 is allowed to swing upward a bit by being in two sections 32', 32", the lower one of which is pivoted at 65 on a fixed framepiece 66. The plate 42 being fixed at one point 43, and being thin enough to be springy and is even spaced very slightly from the table 27, allows transportation of the laden anvil 29 to clinching station position where the operator can remove the oversized gem, or two undersized gems travelling together in the cavity 30. Also to be noted is that ordinarily the staple receiving formation 37 in the auxiliary carrier 41 may be a suitable niche as shown in my said former invention. But it is preferred to have the one shown herein so any defective staple coming thereon can be seen by the operator and removed.

If the gems to be mounted are spherical, then there is no need of any spacial positioning of same at the discharge mouth of the gem delivery chute 32. Those versed in the art will readily understand without further illustration, that in all instances, gem delivery position at the mouth of the gem delivery chute shall be identical and the socket 30 shall be of proper shape and size to receive it and the prongs of a conforming staple therefor. Such staples of course, shall be delivered in proper position from the discharge mouth of the staple delivery chute 38 and that the formation 37 on member 34 and the cross sectional shape of the sleeve 44 and its plunger shall be made to accommodate same in proper position for delivery into the socket 30.

In further embodiments of this invention, the chutes may be supplied by hand with their contents properly placed therein and if the carriage movement is to be done manually by for instance using the arm 46 as a handle therefor, then, of course, the members 45, 55, 48 and 49 and the elements they carry, are omitted.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments described herein shall be deemed illustrative and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description and showings herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a press apparatus including a frame and an upright ram mounted on the frame for movement towards and away from a table fixed on said frame below said ram, of an outright plunger and sleeve assembly extending downwardly from said ram, a hori zontally-discharging chute adapted to discharge upright, plural-pronged staples in succession; said chute being fixed on said frame and having its discharge mouth in an upright plane to one side of said plunger and sleeve assembly so. that on downward movement of the ram, a portion of said plunger and sleeve assembly will cover the said mouth, an auxiliary staple carrier member movably mounted on the frame and biased to a normal rest position where it extends in the path of said plunger and sleeve assembly and is substantially in abutment with the discharge mouth of said staple delivery chute; said member having a formation in its upper surface into which a staple discharged from said chute will enter and be in position to be met by said plunger and sleeve assembly; said plunger and sleeve assembly comprising a sleeve slidably mounted on a plunger therein; said plunger being an upright shank fixed to said ram; in normal rest position, the lower end of the plunger being upward in said sleeve whereby the lower end of said sleeve is vacant and adapted to receive and hold a staple from said member for frictional fit therein upon downward movement of said ram; said sleeve being spring-biased to its normal rest position on said plunger, means on said plunger and sleeve assembly to cause said member to be shifted out of the way of said assembly when the ram moved downwardly after said sleeve has received a staple from off said member, a carriage slidably mounted on said table, an anvil fixed on said carriage; said anvil having a gem receiving socket large enough to receive a gem and the prongs of a staple; said anvil to cooperate with said plunger when the ram is lowered sufficiently so that the prongs of a staple carried by said sleeve will pierce a fabric resting on the anvil and be bent inwardly towards one another to securely grasp a gem within said socket, a downwardly discharging chute adapted to discharge individual gems in succession; said gem delivery chute being mounted on the frame and having its discharge mouth substantially on said anvil so that upon movement of the carriage to a first position on said table where said socket is directly under the mouth of said gem delivery chute, the gem at the mouth of said gem chute will fall into said socket; said carriage normally being at a second position on said table, where said socket is coaxially with said plunger and sleeve assembly; said :anvil extending constantly across the discharge mouth of said gem delivery chute, and said carriage being movable from one of said positions to the other.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, including means controlled by the upward movement of the ram, to move the carriage from said second position to said first position and back again to said second position.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the means for moving the carriage from the second position to the first position and then back again to the second position, comprises a slide bar slidably mounted on said table for movement along the path of movement of said carriage; said carriage having a transverse track thereon, an arm extending laterally from said carriage towards said slide bar, a first pin extending laterally from said slide bar, adapted to intercept side arm when side slide bar is moved in the direction said carriage moves travelling from the second to the first position, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to a region on the frame between said carriage and slide bar, a second pin extending from one end of said lever and engaging said track for movement therealong, a pawl pivotally mounted at the other end of said lever and in extension thereof; the pivotal axes of said lever and pawl being parallel; said pawl being in the path of the first pin; said pawl being spring biased to a normal stop position on said lever; said pawl when swung away from its normal rest position, moving in a direction away from said arm on the carriage; said pawl, when intercepted by said first pin when said slide bar is moving towards said arm, remaining at its normal rest position on said lever whereupon on continued movement of said slide bar, said lever is swung whereby the carriage is moved from its second position to its first position and means linking said slide bar and the ram whereby on descent of said ram, said slide bar will be moved to increase the distance between the first pin and said arm, have the first pin swing the pawl away from its normal position on the lever and pass the pawl, whereupon said pawl will return to its normal rest position on the lever, and upon ascent of said ram, said slide bar will move in the opposite direction to have the first pin intercept the pawl whereupon the lever will be swung thereby moving the carriage from the secondto the first position and then the first pin will intercept said arm thereby moving the carriage from the first position back to the second position, said pawl being intermediate the first pin and said arm when the ram is at its raised position and the carriage is at the second position.

4. The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said lever is horizontally positioned; the pivotal axes of said lever and pawl being vertical.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the gem delivery chute is slightly littable at its lower end from its normal rest position on the anvil and spring biased towards such normal position thereof.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5, including a plate of sheet material positioned atop the anvil, mounted on the table and extending between the mouth of the gem delivery chute but short of the lowermost position of the sleeve and plunger assembly so said socket is exposed when the carriage is at the second position; said socket being covered by said plate while the carriage is moving.

7. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said plate includes an upwardly extending tab positioned so that it is adapted to hold back a gem at the mouth of the gem delivery chute when the lower end of said chute is slightly listed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, 111., Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A PRESS APPARATUS INCLUDING A FRAME AND AN UPRIGHT RAM MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR MOVEMENT TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM A TABLE FIXED ON SAID FRAME BELOW SAID RAM, OF AN OUTRIGHT PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID RAM, A HORIZONTALLY-DISCHARGING CHUTE ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE UPRIGHT, PLURAL-PRONGED STAPLES IN SUCCESSION; SAID CHUTE BEING FIXED ON SAID FRAME AND HAVING ITS DISCHARGE MOUTH IN AN UPRIGTH PLANE TO ONE SIDE OF SAID PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY SO THAT ON DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE RAM, A PORTION OF SAID PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY WILL COVER THE SAID MOUTH, AN AUXILIARY STAPLE CARRIER MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AND BIASED OT A NORMAL REST POSITION WHERE IT EXTENDS IN THE PATH OF SAID PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY IN ABUTMENT WITH THE DISCHARGE MOUTH OF SAID STAPLE DELIVERY CHUTE; SAID MEMBER HAVING A FORMATION IN ITS UPPER SURFACE INTO WHICH A STAPLE DISCHARGED FROM SAID CHUTE WILL ENTER AND BE IN POSITION TO BE MET BY SAID PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY; SAID PLUNGER AND SLEEVE PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ING A SLEEVE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON A PLUNGER THEREIN; SAID PLUNGER BEING AN UPRIGHT SHANK FIXED TO SAID RAM; IN NORMAL REST POSITION, THE LOWER END OF THE PLUNGER BEING UPWARD IN SAID SLEEVE WHEREBY THE LOWER END OF SAID SLEEVE IS VACANT AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD A STAPLE FROM SAID MEMBER FOR FRICTIONAL FIT THEREIN UPON DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RAM; SAID SLEEVE BEING SPRING-BIASED TO ITS NORMAL REST POSITION ON SAID PLUNGER, MEANS ON SAID PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY TO CAUSE SAID MEMBER TO BE SHIFTED OUT OF THE WAY OF SAID ASSEMBLY WHEN THE RAM MOVED DOWNWARDLY AFTER SAID SLEEVE ASSEMBLY WHEN THE RAM FROM OFF SAID MEMBER, A CARRIAGE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TABLE, AN ANVIL FIXED ON SAID CARRIAGE; SAID ANVIL HAVING A GEM RECEIVING SOCKET LARGE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE A GEM AND THE PRONGE OF A STAPLE; SAID ANVIL TO COOPERATE WITH SAID PLUNGER WHEN THE RAM IS LOWERED SUFFICIENTLY SO THAT THE PRONGS OF A STAPLE CARRIED BY SAID SLEEVE WILL PIERCE A FABRIC RESTING ON THE ANVIL AND BE BENT INWARDLY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER TO SECURELY GRASP A GEM WITHIN SAID SOCKET, A DOWNWARDLY DISCHARGING CHUTE ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE INDIVIDUAL GEMS IN SUCCESSION; SAID GEM DELIVERY CHUTE BEING MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AND HAVING ITS DISCHARGE MOUTH SUBSTANTIALLY ON SAID ANVIL SO THAT UPON MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE TO A FIRST POSITION ON SAID TABLE WHERE SAID SOCKET IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE MOUTH OF SAID GEM DELIVERY CHUTE, THE GEM AT THE MOUTH OF SAID GEM CHUTE WILL FALL INTO SAID SOCKET; SAID CARRIAGE NORMALLY BEING AT A SECOND POSITION ON SAID TABLE, WHERE SAID SOCKET IS COAXIALLY WITH SAID PLUNGER AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY; SAID ANVIL EXTENDING CONSTANTLY ACROSS THE DISCHARGE MOUTH OF SAID GEM DELIVERY CHUTE, AND SAID CARRIAGE BEING MOVABLE FROM ONE OF SAID POSITIONS TO THE OTHER. 